Back when craft breweries were just starting to can their beers, Oskar Blues introduced its Ten Fidy Imperial Stout in cans, which I thought was brilliant and quite the novelty. (High gravity imperial stout in a can! No wax-dipped bottle!) These days canning big beers has become much more mainstream, though California’s The Bruery is pushing those boundaries with its latest offering out this month: a barrel-aged pastry stout in a 16-ounce can, the coconut macaroon-inspired “Bakery.”

To be fair, I don’t know if there are any/many similar canned offerings from others. And depending on how you feel about the whole “pastry stout” trend in the first place, this may or may not appeal. But a pounder of 13% ABV stout along these lines is sure to make waves in the right circles.

Here’s the press release:

The Bruery is excited and proud to officially announce their latest launch in August 2018: Bakery, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with coconut and natural vanilla flavor added, individually sold in a new packaging format, 16 oz. cans.

Imperial stouts seamlessly play well with many other adjuncts—by taking the idea of combining delicious ingredients to create a sweet and tasty treat, Bakery was born. A blended pastry stout, super dark with a residual sweetness and a 13.0 percent ABV. Smooth, sweet with light notes of coconut and vanilla.

Where did the idea for this beer come from? The Bruery founder Patrick Rue states, “Macaroons bring back nostalgic feelings for me. As a kid, I would beg my Mom to buy them and devour them in one sitting. In college, my girlfriend (now wife) would buy fresh, chocolate-dipped macaroons from the campus coffee shop, which further fueled my appreciation for the dessert.

The flavors of toasty coconut, notes of dark chocolate, and vanilla meld so well in a beer that has a lot of richness, but without an overpowering level of roast. A macaroon inspired beer was the perfect choice to launch our Bakery series with.”

When asked about the choice of cans for packaging he answered, “Cans are a package that maintains great quality, while being a bit more fun and casual. We want to make a statement that some of our beers are more casual and very approachable.”

Be the first to get your hands on Bakery. Order online for $7.99 + shipping at thebruerystore.com (California only), find it in our tasting rooms or purchase it at select craft beer stores in the US.

I’m told the distribution reach right now is California, and “a few states on the East Coast” so I don’t know when/if that will change, if this beer is destined for a larger footprint or not. I wouldn’t mind seeing it land in Oregon, I’d pick up a can to try it out (hopefully the price-per-can isn’t outrageous).